As Temperatures Soar Across Australia, Scientists Forecast Worse to Come

That's not a heatwave ... that's a heatwave!

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Graham Denholm / Getty Images

Tennis fans escape the heat by resting on the concourse floor of Hisense Arena during day four of the 2014 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 16, 2014.

As temperatures soared across southern Australia for the third day this week, Australia’s Climate Council warned of a persistent trend towards longer, hotter heatwaves.

The BBC reports that temperatures hit 107F (40C) in Melbourne and 111F (44C) in Adelaide on Thursday afternoon. The Australian Open suspended matches after a ball boy and tennis player fainted in the heat. Victoria state’s fire commissioner said crews were grappling with 1,000 reports of fires, which have even threatened power stations and railways. An outage in the Frankston area left an estimated 20,000 residents without electricity.

Meanwhile, Australia’s Climate Council released an interim report predicting “longer and more intense” heatwaves to come. Ball boys of the future, take note.

[BBC]